Safety guard for fluorescent lamps



April 28, 1953 c. E. FOSTER 2,636,977

swan GUARD FOR nuoaascmrr pms Filed April :0, 1949 INVENTOR. Camus: E F0571;

A'rroxud'y Patented Apr. 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY GUARD FOR FLUORESCENT LAMPS Charles E. Foster, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application April 30, 1949, Serial No. 90,590 8 Claims. (Cl. 240-5111) This invention relates to a safety guard for fluorescent lamps.

In my prior Patents Nos. 2,350,600 and 2,399,399, respectively issued to me June 6, 1944, and April 30, 1946, I have described and claimed safety clips provided with Wire limbs adapted to function as hooks applicable to the reflectors of fluorescent lamps to safeguard against their tubes falling and breaking; but 'as to the present invention, an important object thereof is to provide a guard of the above stated kind capable of being readily attached to fluorescent lamp structures the reflectors of which have no parts which can be conveniently hooked onto to support the guard.

Accordingly, the present invention relates to a guard attachable underneath the reflector subjacent the ballast case or wiring channel of the lamp structures, the present attaching means being supportable from the lamp structure by the same bolt structures that support the reflector beneath said ballast case. In respect to this feature, it is a specific object of the invention to provide for cross-sectionally contouring a wire guard in such a manner as to facilitate mounting it by means of said bolt structures and also to cause it to be supported by the bolts in a safer, more stable manner. Also, as to this feature, another object is to provide, for the purpose stated, a wire guard which has a supporting loop so shaped as to be supported by the bolts even when said bolts are positioned close to an end wall of the lamp fixture.

Another specific object is to provide, for a fluorescent lamp fixture wherein a reflector is attached by downwardly directed bolts, a guard for the aforesaid purpose having a flattened attaching means supportable by being inserted back of the nuts of said bolts, when the nuts have been but slightly unscrewed and then again screwed down, thus causing only a minimum decrease in the supporting power of the screwed down nuts.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates preferred embodiments of the invention:

Fig. l is a perspective view illustrating the application of this improved lamp guard to a conventional fluorescent lamp structure.

Fig. 2 is a transverse view illustrating the, application of the device to the fluorescent lamp structure shown in Fig. 1, conventional parts being outlined by broken lines.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the posltion of the mounted device in relation to the nut of the bolt which supports the conventional reflector.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modification.

Fig. 5 is a view taken transversely of a lamp fixture having three lighting tubes and showin the modified device illustrated in Fig. 4 mounted upon said fixture, the latter being outlined in broken lines.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention.

Fig. '7 is a transverse view illustrating said third embodiment mounted upon a lamp fixture supporting four lamp tubes lying in two horizontal. parallel planes, said fixture being shown in broken lines.

Referring in detail to the drawing, in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 each wire guard l0 oi the pair shown. viewed in its operative position comprises a pair of twin tube catching members H which are sublacent to the lamp tubes l2 when the guard is in its mounted position. Each of said guards comprises also a central, horizontally directed supporting yoke I3 which unites the members ll, said yoke having diverging juxtaposed arms l4 fitting astride the stem of a selected bolt l5. In Fig. 1 two nuts Pia: are shown screwed onto said bolts to attach the reflector It to the ballast case or wiring channel I1.

Said yoke l3, together with the arcuate tube catching members H which it carries, is made of an elongated strip of form retaining material, being shown as a single piece of stiff. but somewhat resilient wire, the yoke-forming portion of the wire being flattened, as shown, in order to diminish its vertical diameter, so that. when interposed between the lower side of the reflector l6 and the inner side of the nut it will but slightly diminish the: extent to which the threaded part of the nut is anchored to the bolt.

The ballast case I! shown is provided with en walls l8 which extend downwardly below the reflector 16. Usually each bolt structure is spaced a considerable distance from the wall ill at its end of the lamp. but in some lamps the bolts may be very close to said Wall. Ordinarily the wire guards will be mounted in the positions shownin Fig. l with the narrow ends of their yokes l3 directed toward the midlength of the lamp structure, but when the aforesaid bolt structures are very close to the walls :8 each yoke will be positioned with its narrow end directed away from the midlength of the lamp structure, this being necessary in the latter case in order to cause the tube catching members H to be located within the space which underlies the lamp tubes I2.

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the invention is shown embodied in a guard structure for use in lamps of the three-tube type, the guard having a U-shaped central tube catching member 2|, twin end arcuate tube catching members 22, and a yoke 23 at each side of the central member 2| to complete the guard structure, said yokes 23 being dimensioned and designed in the same manner as the already described yoke I3. This type of lamp-.has four bolt structures 24 in two pairs, one pair near each" end of the lamp structure'in a position to be utilized as hangers for the yokes 23. The central tube 25 of this lamp is guarded by the U-shaped central (part 2Landthe twin outer tubes 26 are guarded by the arcuate wire parts 22, all three of the tube guarding'wireruns having their concave sides directed toward the lamps.

In a third embodiment of the inventicmmhown in Figs. 6 and 7, the central part of the guard structure is the same, as that first described and is, in part, lettered similarly except for the use .of the exponent a. but in addition each tube catcher Ila. carries at its outer end. an arcuate wire run.

I 30,. said runs being arranged. to serve as tube A catchers for the outer lamp tubes 3| of the fourtube .lamp shownin Fig. 7, while the wire runs I la guard the two inside lamp tubes 32.

.In. every one of the embodiments of the invention shown in the drawing there is at least i .one yoke portion provided with a U-shaped notch .to. straddle the stembf a downwardly directed elicit/and= a lamp tube catching member carried by-said yoke portion at each side of its U-shaped Dart.

. .How to mount. the devicewill be easily determined from .the .foregolng. description, thereof, .but it may behelpful to point out that, preparatory to mounting itthe selected nut. or nuts will be ,loosenedlslightly and then, while the yoke portion or portions of the. device are" pressed-firmly up against the lower side of the reflector Iii-so as to clear the slightly loosened nuts therefrom .the yoke or yokes are wedged astride the stems 'of the bolts. r' firmly. As" has already been stated the'device "may be mounted with" a yoke portion thereof "anointing toward or. awayfrom the midlength of the lamp structure.

' It'ls' to be understoodithat the guard means rprovided by thisinvention may, within the scope I of the appended claims, be applied to a variety of screw'threaded means used to. attachthe reflector :to the ballast or wiring channel, said" guard mcansbeing supportable eitherby a nut screwed onto a; bolt or by the downwardly dircctedhead of a screw screwed into thelamp fixture.

*In' fluorescent lamps having very long tubes it is desirable to mount one or more of the guards under the midlength portion of thetubes. This may be done by 'spotwelding, to the lower side of thereflector, one or more of the yoke portions of the device.

I claim:

1. The combination with a fluorescent lamp.

structure comprising a plurality othorizontal, parallel, adjacent-lamp tubes and. an elongated horizontally extending reflector attached at least in part to the lower part. of, the lamp structure by downwardly directed bolts carrying nuts on their lower ends;. of a guard comprising a plu- -raiity' of members having arcuately bent tube catching end portions which are subjacent to and havetheir concave parts facing. the lamp tubeswhen the, guard is in its. mounted. position.

Then the nuts are screwed: down said guard also comprising a central, supporting yoke which extends horizontally and is united to said members at a right angle, said yoke having diverging, juxtaposed arms fitting astride the stem of one of said bolts in an overlying relation to the nut thereon.

2. The subject matter of claim 1 and said guard consisting of a single piece of wire and the yoke forming portion thereof being flattened in a manner which decreases its vertical thickness.

3. The combination, with a fluorescent lamp structure comprising four lamp tubes, said tubes being parallel and each occupying a different -vertical'plane-formthe others; of a tube guard structure comprising a wire having its midlength portionashaped as a horizontal narrow U yoke ..passi ng..astride..the stem of a bolt carried by the lamp "structure and having screwed onto its lowemend a nut which supports said yoke in its aforesaid stem-straddling position, the wire being .continued downwardly from .each. sidemf, the

open end of the U-shaped yoke .as an arcuate-portion, lying. in a vertical plane which lies at. a right angle to the plane of the yoke, said arcuate portions having their concave parts directed toward the lamps and positioned to catch the two inside tubes of the lamp, and each of saidarcuate portions being outwardly continued in thesame plane as an arcuate wire portion which hasits concave side directed toward the lamps andpositioned to catch the lamp tube at its side of the lamp structure.

4. The combination, with a fluorescentlamp structure having three paralleLhorizontal lamp tubesrextendingin thesame horizontal plane and a rcflectorattached to the lamp structure by downwardly directed nut carrying bolts in each of the two spaces between adjacent, tubesrof concave side facing the lamps in a position to catch the middle tube of said three tubes, a yoke at each end of said arcuate portion, said yokes each being formed as a continuation of the wire which is laterally bent into a. narrow U-shaped portion that straddles the stem of a bolt of the aforesaid bolts and rests upon the nut thereof;

thewire being continued from the outer side of each 'of'said 'yokes as an-arcuate end portion having its concave side facing the lamps and positioned to catch the lamp tube at its side ofthe structure.

5. The combination, with a fluorescent lamp structure comprising four horizontal lamptubes in adjacent parallel relations, the two outer tubes 'being at a somewhat higher level thanthe two inner tubes; of a tube guard structure comprising a wire having its mid-length portion shaped as a horizontal narrow U-yoke straddling the stem of a bolt carried by the lamp structure and having screwed onto its lower end a not which supports said yoke in its aforesaid stem-straddling position, the wire being continued downwardly from each side of the open end of the U yoke as an arcuate portion lying in a vertical plane which lies at a right angle to the plane of the yoke, said arcuate portions having their con-- cave parts directed toward the lamps and positioned to catch the two inside tubes. of the lamp,

and each of said arcuate portions being outwardwhat higher level than the other two arcuate wire portions.

6. As an article of manufacture, a lamp tube guard consisting of a wire having a midlength arcuate portion and at each side of said arouate portion a yoke portion, each of said yoke portions being shaped as a laterally extending narrow U with slightly diverging limbs, said wire being outwardly continued beyond each of said yoke portions as an arcuate portion, all of said arouate portions lying in the same plane and having their arcuate portions facing toward that side of the structure which is occupied by said yoke portions, said yoke portions and arcuate portions lying in planes which are at right angles.

'7. As an article of manufacture, a strip of form retaining material having a midlength yoke portion and arcuate end portions, said arcuate end portions having their concave parts facing toward that side of the structure which is occupied by said yoke portion and being joined to each other by said yoke portion, said yoke portion being shaped as a narrow U with diverging limbs and united to said arcuate end portions at a right angle, said strip consisting of a wire the yoke formin portion of which is flattened in a manner which decreases the vertical diameter of the wire.

8. The combination, with a fluorescent lamp structure comprising a pair of horizontal lamp tubes and an elongated horizontal extending reflector attached to the lamp structure by a pinrality of downwardly directed bolts having screwed-on nuts; of a guard comprising two tube catching members subjacent to said lamp tubes when the device is in its mounted position, said guard also comprising a central, supporting yoke which extends horizontally and is united to said members at a right angle, said yoke having diverging, juxtaposed arms fitting astride one of said bolts in an overlying relation to its screwedon nut, said tube catching members each consisting oi a strip of form retaining material joined in an endwise manner to the outer end of the yoke arm at its side of the structure, each of said strips having arcuate portions with their concave parts facing the lamps.

CHARLES E. FOSTER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,953,. 2? ORourke Mar. 28, 1933 2,254,766 Mueller Sept. 2, 1941 2,366,568 Mansfield Dec. 16, 1941 2,335,545 Shannon Nov. 30, 1943 2,349,102 Levenoerg' May 16, 1944. 2,350,600 Foster June 6, 1944 2,403,240 Sawin July 2, 1946 2,446,461 Diver Aug. 3, 1948 

